Comments from dallasmovietheaters

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dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Hiland Theater on Feb 22, 2016 at 12:05 am

Likely closed in 1968. AKA the Challenge Theatre albeit briefly.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Casino Theater on Feb 21, 2016 at 11:23 pm

Abraham H. Bank opened the Casino Theatre on Opened December 5, 1912. On Feb 24, 1948, the Casino Theatre burned down ending its cinema treasure status.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Forest Theatre on Feb 21, 2016 at 1:09 pm

Architected by Wetherell & Harrison, the Forest had a July 14, 1937 soft launch and an opening to the public on July 21, 1937 with “Wake Up and Live” and “13th Man.” E.M. Gabbert, owner of the Varsity and Avalon Theatres opened the Forest with 580 seats and a very austere $20,000 budget. Gabbert believed in neighborhood theaters and this one performed well until the TV age changed fortunes.

The Forest closed August 8, 1954 after a country concert followed by tax lien story and classified ad selling all contents. Last shows appear to be July 31, 1954 with “Drums” and “Four Feathers” before becoming a community center in the 21st Century.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Berchel Theatre on Feb 21, 2016 at 12:37 pm

William Foster opened as the Grand Theatre in 1907 which replaced the Grand Opera which burned in March of 1906. The Grand became the Berchel on August 27, 1911. Des Moines would get another Grand Theatre at Sixth and Grand in 1914. The Berchel was mostly a legit theater but played silent films as well. It closed for a major remodeling in Spring of 1925 and reopening in late Fall 1926. The theater never converted to sound though had some sound effect films toward the end of its run. It was torn down in October of 1931.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Family Theatre on Feb 21, 2016 at 12:20 pm

Opened as the Radium Theatre on May 30, 1907, the theatre went out of business within three months reopening on Thanksgiving of 1907 as the rebranded Family Theatre. Harry Hiersteiner ran the Family as an independent for 37 of the 46 years facing stiff competition from the major circuits.

But the TV age was unkind to the Locust Street theatres as the Garden/Rocket, Strand and Family closed consecutively. The final show for the Family was “Venus in Peek-a-Boo” September 13, 1953. Two months later, the struggling Grand Theatre would burn to the ground as Des Moines pre-palace era movie theaters continued their rapid descent.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Grand Theatre on Feb 21, 2016 at 12:08 pm

This was technically the third Grand in Des Moines preceded by the Grand Opera House that burned down in 1906 and was replaced by the Grand Theater which became the Berchel Theatre. This Grand opened in 1914. The Grand burned down just as the second twenty-year lease was expiring and business failing.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Rocket Theatre on Feb 21, 2016 at 11:10 am

Norman T. Vorse architected the Garden for Abraham H. Blank The Garden opened May 2, 1914 with “Goodness Gracious” in the old Odd Fellows building. The $100,000 theatre’s multi-colored terra cotta design was distinctive and the 900-pipe, $15,000 William Schuelke organ entertained the opening crowd. Arthur Hays was the organist and also conducted the Garden Orchestra.

Tri-States changed the Garden to the Rocket April 14, 1949. It dropped the struggling theater in 1951. It soldiered on independently until closing with a tax lien in June of 1953.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Amuzu Theater on Feb 21, 2016 at 3:45 am

Built in 1912, the Amuzu lasted until the end of 1952 likely doing two 20 year leases. On April 6, 1930, the theater got Photophone sound equipment to enter the talking picture era.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Rialto Theatre on Feb 20, 2016 at 11:05 pm

The Rialto Theatre opened April 19, 1918 with J. Warren Kerrigan in “A Man’s Man”. It was designed by local architectural firm Kraetsch & Kraetsch with the Younker Bros. known for their Younker’s Department Stores doing the interior design along with A. Jasinski. Though Wm. Knudson was the contractor, Winkle Terra Cotta of St. Louis provided the distinctively tinted terra cotta front.

S. Nelson Roper opened at the Robert Morton Symphony Orchestral Organ. Pathé and Goldwyn films were block booked at the Rialto, nicknamed “The Temple of the Silent Art.” With abundant competition from the Strand, Des Moines and others, the “temple” quickly was outmoded and outmarketed.

On January 1, 1922, the Rialto rebranded from the “Temple of the Silent Art” to the “House of Proven Successes: The Finest for the Least” or a sub-run house. The Rialto would continue to struggle unable to complete its ten-year lease. The Rialto Theatre was closed February 14, 1926 with Natacha Rambova in “When Love Grows Cold”. It has since been demolished.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Queen Theatre on Feb 20, 2016 at 9:59 pm

Fred H. Rike opened the Feature Theatre on December 20, 1915 at 214 North Kentucky St.in McKinney. The Brockman Brothers – Tom S. and Roy L. – took over the struggling theatre and after a quick remodel in June of 1916 reopened it as the Queen Theatre on Jun 17, 1916. In 1922, the Brockmans took the Queen equipment and signage to Frisco to open the Queen Theatre there. The Brockmans sold the Queen to E.L. Black or his brother. Black sold it to John T. Northcutt. Northcutt then sold it to E.L. Black in 1927. Black sold it again – but when the stock market collapsed – the new owners seemed to flounder so Black got it back. The theater appears to fulfill a ten-year lease and close.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Queen Theater on Feb 20, 2016 at 9:55 pm

Robboehm: I think I’m an idiot! I had no idea I could add a theatre.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Queen Theater on Feb 20, 2016 at 1:55 pm

Robboehm – Not really dangling as I can’t add pictures or continue threads on theaters not in the database. The Queen of Frisco isn’t in the CT-DB today (I can’t add theaters); so I did the best that I could for you – just added a picture of the E.L. Black run Frisco Theatre here in the McKinney entry. The Brockmans sold the Queen to John T. Northcutt. Northcutt then sold it to E.L. Black in 1927. Black sold it – but when the stock market collapsed – the new owners seemed to flounder so Black got it back. Sorry to dangle.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Westgate Cinema on Feb 20, 2016 at 11:47 am

The Jerry Lewis Cinema was called that for less than one year changing names to the Westgate Cinema in March of 1973 when the Lewis brand was cratering. Later, the Westgate Cinema was operated by William B. Boren’s fledgling circuit consisting of the Eastgate Cinema in Garland, the Wilshire Showcase I & II in Euless, Cineworld 4 and Lancaster Showcase in Fort Worth and two theaters in Blackwell, OK.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Maryland Theater on Feb 20, 2016 at 6:20 am

Last show was October 9, 1963. Fire closed the theatre which became eyesore and partially demo’d October 1964 then completed after controversy in December 1966.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about State Theater on Feb 20, 2016 at 12:09 am

This theater was the Arcade Theatre by Mr. and Mrs. E. Black. It was purchased by the operators of the neighboring Texas Theatre and nearby Pope Theatre. In 1936, it was remodeled and renamed the State Theatre. The State went out of business on December 29, 1951 sith a double feature of “The Mysterious Rider” and “Flying Disc Man.”

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Rio Theatre on Feb 19, 2016 at 11:11 pm

Architected by Lang & Witchell with opening date of June 16, 1913 (or June 14, 1913 – which was advertised but apparently delayed) on North Kentucky Street on the West side of the square. Three people managed the Pope in its run: L.D. Perkins, Charles Kimble and Roy Brockton, Sr.

On June 5, 1945, Mr. and Mrs. Shipman Bullard remodeled the Pope Theatre and reopened it as the Rio Theatre. The theater struggled in the TV era taken over by its last owner, C.D. Barnes. A minor fire early in 1956 caused minor damage fire and a fire on April 18, 1956 appears to end the Rio Theater’s operation despite the building holding up well to the blaze. The building stood vacant for seven years before being razed in 1963.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Columbia Air Dome on Feb 19, 2016 at 10:49 pm

The short-lived Columbia Air Dome which, along with the Columbia Theatre, were both purchased by Charles Kimball — operator of the Pope Theatre, the Happy Hour Theatre and Happy Hour Airdome. The Columbia Theatre became the Interurban station stop on North Kentucky in downtown late in 1914 after being demolished. Both Columbia operations' equipment was sent to Farmersville, TX.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about America Theatre on Feb 19, 2016 at 4:54 pm

Silent-era theater run by R&R and Roy L. Brockman that opened in 1917 and closed in 1928. Demolished in 1928 for the long-running. Ritz Theatre

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Queen Theater on Feb 19, 2016 at 3:06 pm

Fred H. Rike opened the Feature Theatre on December 20, 1915 at 214 North Kentucky St. The Brockman Brothers – Tom S. and Roy L. – took over the struggling theatre and after a quick remodel in June of 1916 reopened it as the Queen Theatre on Jun 17, 1916. In 1922, the Brockmans took the Queen equipment and signage to Frisco to open the Queen Theatre there ending the Queen’s run in Fall of 1922.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Oak Lawn Theatre on Feb 19, 2016 at 8:40 am

Architected by Lang & Witchell

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Waco Hippodrome Theatre on Feb 19, 2016 at 8:34 am

Architected by Lang & Witchell

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Strand Theatre on Feb 19, 2016 at 8:27 am

Correction: Lang & Witchell architects

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Rialto Theatre on Feb 18, 2016 at 12:02 am

Built by T.R. North as the Adel Opera House in 1903 and launching with a live comedy March 21, 1904 at 911 Court Street. It was mostly live and when the Palace Theatre launched as a movie house in 1914 on Main Street, films became more frequent at the opera house. Stitt Wilson made an impassioned plea on behalf of the suffrage movement and the National Woman’s Party apparently getting many converts for women’s right to vote at the Adel in May of 1916. When the Opera House switched to full time movie exhibition in 1921, the opera house became the Rialto Theatre.

The Rialto had a popular bank night in the Depression era that became subject of a lawsuit before being discontinued. In the television era, it was converted to widescreen films in 1956. But soon after, it was destroyed by fire on May 27, 1956 ending its service or more than 50 years. It was replaced by the Ben Franklin store which had a long run in Adel. Pictures of the Rialtos in photos.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Warners' Theatre on Feb 15, 2016 at 7:04 pm

Warner Brothers bought the Piccadilly for $835,000 on August 9, 1925 remodeling it and reopening as the Warners Theatre in October of 1925.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Whitehouse Theatre on Feb 14, 2016 at 2:45 pm

Address was 185-189 Third St. in Milwuakee.